SEQUEL TO NUDIST PARTY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 80, 28 December 1940, Page 4

SEQUEL TO NUDIST PARTY

SoHeiltir Sent Eor Trial CHARGE DESCRIBED AS ARCHAIC Neville Yivien Meuline. .udiritur. of (.'asllereagh Street. Sydney, who L alleged lo have been one of a parly of nudists found near WaieiTall. was eonunilled for trial from Hie Central Summons Court recently, on inforniali|)ii alleging .scandalous <-<mduel, and llial lie had outraged public decency by exposing himself to Hie view of "divers liege subjects of Hie King" to Hie "great scandal” of these subjects, ami "to lite nimtifesl corruption of tlieir morals." Margaret Morgan, of Challis Avenue. Potts Point. Molly Sniitli. of JolniSlou Slrcel, Annandale. Alexander Docrill, of Elizabeth Slrcel. Kugarah, Cedric Cosh, of l-llizalielli Slrcel. Syd Iley, and l.ewis Roberts. of Orwell Street, Potts Point, Here remanded to liecember 2(1 on similar informations.

.Mr. .Shand (for Menlove) said that there liad been only two successful prosecutioiis iu Australia on this siiclioii of Common Law, that Iln- alleged offences could have been dealt willi more expeditiously under nipdetii law, and that lhe charge was one of I lie most nrcltaie jimt could have coine before tlie Court, mid would mil hold, as tlie witnesses of tlie alleged nudism liad not been seanilallzed and tlieir morals liad not been corrupted. What Constable Saw. Constable J, IL Rogers, of Hie Scicutilic Bureau of Hie C.i.8.. said that about 2 p.m. on November 1(1 lie went to |i spot, at Heathcote Creek, about two mid a lialf miles from Waterfall railway station, mid saw the men Docrill and Roberts anti Hie woman Smith, who were nude. He took 1(1 photographs. After lie stepped from iH.'ltilid a tree lie saw Menlove. who was nude, hold something behind his hack, walk into lite creek, ami sit down. Menlove said: "I am going to liliislt myself oil' Imre.” Rogers said lie told him not to lie foolish Rogers said that lie saw a cine lilm packet iu lite water and re-covered it mid a cine camera and a case. From Hie lilm In- liad printed a number of photographs. 'l'o .Mr. Shand. Rogers said lie had seen no acts of iiideeeiiey. ;y>art from Iln- lack of clothes. Constable Leonard Anderson said Hint lie told Alenlove tli.it a man and a woman who liad been hiking liad seen them. Dr. Desmond William Arnott, psychiatrist. of Maeipiarie Street, called as an expert, said nudism did not tend to promote immorality, but tlie reverse. unless there was some abnormality. There were 27 nudist estab lisliments in Fmglmid "ml a number of prominent people were associated with them. Mr Shand submitted to Mr. Atkinson. S.M.. that no offence was disclosed. and even if there was. it was such that no jury could convict. Iu tlie two previous convictions on this section of Common l.aw there had bin’ll imh-cem-y. wliieli was absent from Hiis ease. Tlie Ancient Greeks. "What is seaml,-lions conduct?” Mr. Shand asked, "it varies rightly or wrongly witli tlie limes. The ancient Greeks and Homans, men and women. bathed together nude, iml that did not lead lo indecency. In tin' Flizabelhail era it was indecent for a woman to show more limn a very little of In-r body, and then came ilie i-riimlines. wliieli did not show even tlie outline of tlie tignre.” .Mr. Shand said llial "these extremel.v silly people” had been inspired by no sense of indecency, but were 10l- | lowing iln- etilt of nudism, which to most seemed silly ami somewhat re-I pcllenl.